


Kingsglaive: Erebus Khaine

by Vaengir



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XV: Comrades
Genre: Bromance, F/M, Paradox, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Pre-Brotherhood, Time Travel, mentor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-11 00:36:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vaengir/pseuds/Vaengir
Summary: When the late King Noctis' royal retinue approached him to assist them in searching for Umbra, Erebus Khaine didn't expect to be sent back 23 years into the past when Insomnia still stood and the king is but a prince of 8-years. Without his memories to guide him, Erebus struggles to relive through the past hoping he won't worsen the future.





	1. Make the Clock Reverse

"Say your prayers!" shouted Prompto before the blonde unloaded a shotgun's worth of bullets across the outskirts of the city at a brunette Kingsglaive.

"How is this my Sunday afternoon?" muttered the man under his breath barely managing to sidestep and dodge the blonde's attack.

Whatever Erebus Khaine expected when the late King Noctis' royal retinue approached him and asked if he could lend them some of his time, this wasn't what he had in mind.

Eleven years ago, a fellow glaive, Libertus Ostium, found him barely surviving in the ruins of Insomnia with no memory of who he is. If not his Kingsglaive training, he might not have survived long enough to be found. What he does know about himself are second-hand stories recounted by Libertus and other surviving members of the Kingsglaive.

According to them, Erebus was a bit of an oddball since most natural-born Insomnians usually went for far more lucrative options readily available to them without the hassle of immigration discrimination. Kingsglaive applicants were usually refugees with an affinity towards the King's magic. He wondered what drove him to join the Kingsglaive once or twice before, but without his memories he learned to accept the possibility of never sating his curiosity.

"Try this!" roared Gladiolus as he came crashing down with his buster-styled sword.

With no chance of parrying, Erebus saw no point in attempting to block a guard-break and scrambled to get out of the way of the royal shield's attack. He was part of the Mage Fireteam Unit in Kingsglaive. His specialty lied more with magic wielding and less with swinging swords. Unlike his fellows, Erebus' arsenal comprised of mostly light-weighted weapons like daggers and staffs.

_**BOOM!** _

Speaking of magic proficiency, flames exploded in his line of vision and knocked him off him feet. The culprit was Ignis Scientia, the late king's royal advisor. Like him, Ignis's combat inclination leant more toward magic than physical, but unlike Erebus, the man was part of the prestige Crownsguard rather than the Kingsglaive.

Winded and disoriented, the Erebus rolled onto his knees and summoned his spell-crafted dagger to cast curaga. Any relief he felt was short-lived as a chillingly happy hum of a victory theme song came from behind.

"Shi—" yelped Erebus as Prompto appeared from his blind spot with his bulky Gravitywell aimed pointblank in him face.

Frantic, the brunette tossed the dagger at hand into the ruined pillars and warped out of harm's way. One quick sweep of him surroundings later, he chucked one of the daggers at Prompto. Ideally, he would like to take out Ignis first to keep him from unleashing magically hell. However, the blond gunslinger proved to be a nuisance with his perchance to pop up unexpectedly while wielding dangerous weaponry.

"Gah!" screamed Prompto as Erebus swapped out for a staff with a lightning element and electrocuted him with a thundaga spell.

"One down, two to go… Astrals, I'm too old for this," muttered the brunette under him breath before twirled the staff in his hand to swap to another spell-crafted staff and turned his attention to Gladiolus.

Compared to Prompto, what the man lacked in speed was made up for in brute strength. If Gladiolus manages to land a hit on him, the fight was over. The best he do is hope he's fast enough to dodge the burly man's attacks and not get hit.

"Try this!" roared Gladiolus as he swung his behemoth of a sword.

At the attack, Erebus barely managed to arch his back far enough for it to harmlessly swing over him. It was a feat of acrobatics and pure core muscle to force himself upright long enough to ground his feet to sweep the larger man off the ground with a well-aimed swing of the staff behind his knees. With the Amicitia man down, Erebus plants a blizzaga spell to the ground and partially froze the man in place.

Once he was certain Gladiolus was not coming at him again, Erebus swapped his weapon once more for yet another spell-crafted weapon before turned his full attention to the blind advisor.

"Well, here we are," noted Ignis, no doubt sensing his allies were down as he held a cane in one hand and a dagger in the other.

From past experience, Erebus learned to keep his distance at the sight of that stance. Even without his sight the advisor was still a dangerous man. However, fighting at a distance also posed an issue since the man had no qualms in hurling elemental spells at a whim. The memory of getting fried, frozen and burned over and over again by the advisor still haunts him to this day.

On the off chance he somehow crosses the man, Erebus made certain to have at least one weapon in his arsenal crafted with elemental defenses at all times. Not that it helps against Ignis' debilitating status debuffs. More than once, he struggled to cast esuna just so he wouldn't accidentally run into straight into the man's attack range while under his enchantment.

When dealing with Ignis, patience and observation was half the battle. Get in range when he's in the defensive position with dagger at hand and he'll deliver a devastating knockout. Stray too far and he'll unleash an elemental Armageddon. To say there's a small window of opportunity to attack the man was a glaring understatement.

Despite knowing this, it was hard press to keep it in mind with adrenaline pumping through his veins and past trauma haunting his instincts. Even so, Erebus somehow managed to wait for the miniscule window of opportunity to warp up close and spam firaga spells at the man until he hit the ground, defeated.

"Well done," breathed Ignis painfully as he gingerly pressed a hand against the burns. "I must say you exceeded all my expectations."

"He definitely gave us a run for our money for an old timer," grunted Gladiolus as he freed himself from the half melted blizzaga attack.

"Yep, no complaints here… Well, maybe one," murmured Prompto with a sheepish laugh as he tried to fight the muscle spasms from the thundaga attack. "Can't you have gone a little easier on us?"

He thought it would be easy to accept things as they came since he had no prior memories for comparison, but even he can tell the level of revere he's given by the three men was unusual and not only them.

Cor and Monica, Crownsguards to the late King Regis, also seemed to treat him in the same regard, albeit a bit more distant compared to the other three. Maybe it was a sense of comradery of having served the royal family prior to this whole nightmare, but none of them seem to treat the other Kingsglaive in the same manner.

"Three Crownsguards against one glaive isn't exactly what I call  _easy._  Not to mention you brats are a good ten years younger than me," muttered Erebus as he willed away his weapon and brushed a hand over the Oracle's Sigil on his arm. He paused briefly when he noticed a new sigil appearing on his arm alongside the other royal sigils, but didn't give much thought. At least it'll even out the thirteen sigils he already received from recovering the royal tombs.

The green glow of curaga lit the area briefly and covered the three Crownsguard in its healing light. Erebus sighed in relief when the glow ended. It was rather strange they still have access to the king's magic even after his passing. From what Libertus told him, when King Regis died, all the glaives lost their magic, but when King Noctis died, they continued to retain said magic.

"Oh come on, nothing's too hard for the Hit n' Run hero!" teased Prompto cheerily.

"T-that's," spluttered Erebus before planting a hand to his face. "Are they still calling me that?"

"How did Vyv's magazine describe him again?" noted Ignis in amusement. "The man who strikes his enemies and heal his allies without much care or afterthought."

"There were a lot of daemons!" protested Erebus weakly in an attempt to defend his lack of consideration. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Not saying you didn't do good," chuckled Gladiolus. "You were practically a one-man army."

"You say it like I was the only one there," murmured Erebus. "The Marshal was the one that managed the highest kill count."

"Yeah, but he already has the title of Immortal," pointed out Prompto.

"And besides, you did manage to afflict a good deal of daemons with your frost spells to make it easier for the other glaives to take them down," noted Ignis as he pushed his visor back up the bridge of his nose. "I hate to imagine how much more difficult it would have been without your assistance."

"I guess," said Erebus as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's just kind of weird to get credit for what everyone else was already doing."

"Stop being so damn modest," grunted Gladiolus "You may think you're not doing much, but that day, every little bit counts."

"I supposed…" agreed Erebus reluctantly. "So, sparring session aside, is there anything else you need? I mean, it's nice to see you all, after… uh…."

He trailed off at the grim expressions on the three Crownsguards faces. The passing of King Noctis was still a sensitive subject. Erebus can't say he remember much about the king before his memory loss, but when the man called the Kingsglaive to arms to retake Insomnia, the sight was rather inspiring.

"Oh right, about that!" fidgeted Prompto. "You know how ever since he light's come back, everyone's been focus on the reconstruction effort on the city and towns that were overtaken by the daemons, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" noted Erebus in puzzlement.

"I'm sure you're aware of our preservation efforts regarding to the royal vestiges. With reconstruction as the populace's main focus, there are limited resources and manpower we could request regarding to this venture," elaborated Ignis. "Of the glaives, Libertus mentioned you have the best lay of Insomnia's ruins with the highest support record."

"O…kay?" said Erebus with a tilt of his head, not following their line of thought.

"What Iggy's tryin' to say," sighed Gladiolus. "Think you'd be interested in helping us out with this? Compensation's not that good, but we could really use someone who knows how to get around Insomnia in its current state."

"We understand it's a lot for us to ask since you no doubt are trying to reestablish your life like many others," said Ignis.

"You guys really are something, to continue to do this even after…" Erebus stopped himself before he finished and scratched the side of his cheek awkwardly. "You know what? I'll help. If not for Kingsglaive, I probably wouldn't be here today anyway. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you! You're awesome!" cheered Prompto.

"You have our gratitude," said Ignis gratefully with an incline of his head.

"So what exactly are you guys looking for that you need a navigator to get through Insomnia?" asked Erebus curiously. "The reconstruction effort's already making their way through, would it be so bad to wait until they cleared a way to wherever you're going?"

"Unfortunately, what we're looking for doesn't stay in one place for long.," grunted Gladiolus.

"It…moves?" asked Erebus in confusion.

"Yep," answered Prompto.

"…Okay, you got my interest, what are we looking for?" asked Erebus.

"Umbra, the late Lady Lunafreya's dog," explained Ignis.

"You're going through all this for a dog?" said Erebus in disbelief. "Are you sure it's still alive after all this time?"

"Well…" trailed off Prompto solemnly.

"Not to say he can't be alive, he could be and…" fumbled Erebus awkwardly as he tried to rephrase what he said to something less heartless, but failing to find the words to do so.

"If you wish to back out, we won't hold it against you," continued Ignis evenly.

While he barely knew these men, they had fought alongside one another through the endless nights and for the return of the light, he felt bad for upsetting them.

"I mean… I don't have any problems with looking for a dog…" mumbled Erebus before turning his heel. "You know what? Why don't you let me know when you guys are ready to set off? I'll go uh… get ready."

With the daemons gone, preparations for traversing Insomnia took no time at all. Not to say it was completely safe to travel during the night with the local wildlife still out and about, but compared to the endless nights, travel in general was notably less perilous and the need for excess preparation was less imperative. Even so, most still preferred to travel during the day, if only to enjoy the long missed sunlight.

"Ah, feel that sun!" gushed Prompto while hugging the edge of the truck's cargo bed with his head on his arms.

Ignis and Gladiolus didn't share the blonde's verbal appreciation towards the sun's light and warmth, but Erebus could see the quiet signs of their own enjoyment. How Gladiolus leisurely leaned against the front of the truck, breeze playfully tugging the loose strands of his hair. Or how Ignis' chin tilt ever so slight towards the sun to feel the warmth on his face.

If he haven't embarrassed himself, he might have tried to engage them in conversation, but in the end, the ride remained quiet with only the passing breeze and Prompto's occasional humming to break the silence.

"So, where to first?" asked Erebus once their driver dropped them off as deep as he could into Insomnia.

"The citadel," suggested Ignis. "According to the hunters' intel, while they were out clearing the area for the reconstruction efforts, there were several accounts of Umbra sightings in the area."

"I guess the old boy misses him as much as we do," murmured Prompto softly.

"Loyal to the end," sighed Gladiolus before he turned to Erebus. "Lead the way."

"…Right," breathed Erebus as did his best to hurry forward and pretend he wasn't an intruder in their private moment. "The foundation to a lot of the buildings around here have started to crumble and a lot of places aren't quite stable. If we get separately, avoid using the underground tunnels as a means to get through."

"But we've used them before the last time we were here," reasoned Prompto.

"You're free to take the risk if you want, but just letting you know, three tunnels collapsed the last time I checked while on a hunt in the area," noted Erebus offhandedly.

"Don't take the tunnels, got it," amended Prompto without protest.

"Best to take caution," agreed Ignis.

"All right, we're wasting daylight, let's go," rumbled Gladiolus before Erebus nodded and lead the group on.

Despite crumbled buildings, upturned vehicles and endless piles of debris at every turn, Insomnia still held its sense of grandeur. The years of wear and tear from the daemons hasn't been kind to the fallen capital. Even so, something about the city brought on a sense of longing and nostalgia even for a person like him without his memories.

"So, I probably should've asked before we started looking, but what does Umbra dog look like?" asked Erebus as they made their way through the ruins.

"Well, he's mostly black with a white underbelly and yellowish gold eyes," replied Prompto with a hum before he pounded a fist over an open hand in realization. "Oh wait! Gimme a sec, I think I have a picture of him on my camera."

Erebus glanced at the blonde at his peripheral vision as the man pulled out his camera and hurriedly clicked through the photos. It didn't take long before Prompto's finger stilled and a somber smile touched his lips.

"Prompto?" called out Erebus, when the man came to a full stop.

"Found it!" hedged the blonde with exaggerated cheer, snapping his attention back to the Kingsglaive before he turned the screen for him to see.

When he saw the photo, Erebus realized why Prompto acted the way he did. The photo had not only the dog, but also a youthful version of the late King Noctis. He almost didn't recognize him without his facial hair and his kingly raiment. What a difference ten years make in a person.

"It's a good picture," offered Erebus quietly. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him."

"Hey, what's the holdup?" bellowed Gladiolus a short distance ahead with Ignis by his side.

"Coming!" shouted Prompto in response as he jogged towards the burly shield. "Just showing Erebus a picture of Umbra!"

Apart from a flock of wild daggerquills the rest of the way to the citadel was relatively uneventful. They spent most of the day surveying the area, hoping they could catch sight of the elusive dog. Despite their efforts, disappointment weighted on the group as dusk came and not one of them spotted the canine even once.

"Maybe its just out of the area, Gladiolus did mention he never stays in one place for long," suggested Erebus as the sky fell from dusk to night and the group still seem downtrodden by their lack of success.

"Probably, should call it a day," rumbled Gladiolus as he glanced up to the starlit sky. "Too late to head back now though."

"We can hunker down somewhere and try again tomorrow," offered Erebus before the group silently agreed and searched for a place to set up camp for the night.

While there are no havens within Insomnia, there aren't many dangerous wildlife within the city itself aside for the random avian variety. They setup camp at a nearby park with overgrown greenery. The long years without a proper landscaper turned the place into a small forest. It was safer to camp away from the buildings or any man-made structures, less they decide collapse during the night.

Dinner was a modest affair with Ignis outdoing himself with the simplest of ingredients. To this day, it still amazes the brunette on how the blind advisor could cook something this delicious over a camp fire while Erebus himself barely manages to make something edible in a working kitchen.

"Ignis, if I was into men I'd marry you if just to eat your cooking every day," sighed Erebus in content as he polished off the remainder of his plate.

"Get in line," sniggered Gladiolus. "But to be fair Iggy does have a whole flock of people pining for his cooking."

"Yep, including good old Cid!" added Prompto jokingly.

"Well, if I must say, Cid is quite charming for his age," drawled Ignis wryly as he contributed to the group's playful cajoling.

"Shot down for the likes of Cid? How could I ever compete?" gasped Erebus mockingly with a hand over his chest before the group broke into laughter.

With hearty laughs and full stomachs, the meal reinvigorated and lifted the spirits of the group from the day's disappointment. It was a relief for Erebus to see them enjoy themselves. So many have lost someone close to them in the last decade. Be it to the daemon attacks or illness from the lack of proper livelihood. A genuine smile was rarer and more precious on those who fought long and hard through the years.

"Why don't you guys hit the sack first? I'll handle the cleanup," suggested Erebus when the meal was done.

"You sure? I could lend you a hand," offered Prompto.

"Nah, I got this, just go," waved the brunette as he collected the plates and cups for cleaning.

"See you in the morning," yawned Gladiolus without much protest as he made his way to the tent.

"Yell if you need us!" said Prompto before he followed suit. "Ignis you coming?"

"In a moment, you go on ahead," replied Ignis evenly.

"Okay, niiight!" sang Prompto before he ducked into the tent. Gladiolus' snores rumbled soundly on the other side.

"Just keeping me company, or do you have something on your mind?" asked Erebus quietly as he sprayed the plates with a non-toxic cleaning spritzer for a quick rub down. With no water source nearby, he had to make do with what they had without wasting resources.

"….You really can't remember anything prior to the world going to ruin?" asked Ignis after a moment. "Nothing at all?"

"Not really… is there something I'm supposed to remember?" asked Erebus curiously in mid-wipe.

Ignis remained quiet for a time before he shook his head and stood from his seat. Erebus half expected him to leave without another word, but then the man walked up to him and planted a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

"…If you never regain your memories, please know patience has always been your best virtue," said Ignis.

"Okay?" said Erebus, confused by the man's odd compliment.

"Goodnight Erebus," said Ignis as he pulled away and made his way to the tent.

"…What was that about?" wondered Erebus with furrowed brows before returning to finish up his cleaning.

By the time he was done and ready to head into the tent for the night, a rustling in the woods caught his attention. With daggers called to his hand, he was about to shout for the other three to wake up when a small dark figure darted out from the shadows and into the campfire's light. Erebus paused in surprise when he recognized the small figure as Umbra, the very reason why they came to Insomnia.

"Hello there, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," grinned Erebus as he willed away his weapon before kneeling down to the canine's eye level. He held out his hand for the dog to sniff to show he's no threat. "Here, we wasted the whole day searching for you and you just stroll right just as we're going to bed. You're a little troll, aren't ya?"

Umbra sniffed his hand briefly before turning away, huffing as though to dismiss him.

"A bit high strung huh?" murmured Erebus in amusement as he reached slowly the pet the dark-furred dog. Umbra gave no sign of protest as his golden eyes gaze up at him. Seeing it as an invite, Erebus rested a hand the side of his head, his fingers dancing up to scratch his ears. "But I think the three in the tent would be more than happy to see…"

A frown crossed Erebus' face as his vision suddenly turned hazy with only Umbra's golden eyes in clear view. He drew his hand back, wanting to rest it against his head, but the world turned black before he could do so. The next thing knew was someone's hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake and shouting his name.

"Hey Erebus! Naptime's over, wake the fuck up!" shouted a young woman's voice before the shaking turned into a rough kick.

"Woah!" yelped Erebus as his eyes snapped open and he ducked into a roll to keep himself form landing face first into the ground.

"Hey, hey, no need to be so violent Crowe," eased a strange but familiar voice before a firm hand grabbed onto Erebus' arm and helped him up. "He probably spent the night out here from the looks of it."

"Last night?" murmured Erebus in confusion before his hand darted up to his throat in surprise.

His voice was lighter, while nowhere near pubescent, it was also nothing like the slight rasp he's developed after screaming and shouting in battle with his comrades. If it wasn't already confusing enough there was the sound of a bustling city to contend with it.

"Seriously? Did you drink yourself stupid and sleep in the park the night before our first mission? I'm not covering for your ass if you have a hangover. You know we're due to leave for Galdin Quay to escort the king and the prince home today," scowled the dark haired young woman dressed in a Kingsglaive uniform.

"You can yell at him on the way there, we need to get going before Drautos gets on our case," sighed the young man holding onto his arm, he recognized the voice as Gustco. Albeit a younger sounding one. "We're late enough as it is."

"Fine," grumbled the young woman named Crowe before she charged up to Erebus, jamming a finger into his chest. "Do this again and I'm setting your ass on fire! Got it?"

"…Got it," agreed Erebus without protest, he was still too confused by the whole situation to say much else.

"Come on Gustco, let's get going!" snapped Crowe as she turned her heel, the red cape from her glaive uniform fluttering behind her as her walk turned into a full-blown run.

Erebus blinked in surprise when he recognized the similarities between her glaive uniform and his. Like him, she was part of the Kingsglaive's Mage Fireteam Unit. Though, what confused him more was the younger and slimmer looking Gustco standing next to him. He recognized that awkward side-swept hair anywhere.

Of all the surviving Kingsglaive, Gustco and Elea were the only other remaining members of the Mage Fireteam Unit. He can't recall ever meeting a Kingsglaive named Crowe.

"You okay to walk on your own?" asked Gustco as he carefully released his arm and took a cautious step ahead.

"…Yeah, just fine," answered Erebus as he started a light run towards Crowe's disappearing figure amidst the crowds of civilians to gather his thoughts and take in his surroundings.

It took some time, but eventually he recognized the citadel in the distance, pristine and well-kept. His dark eyes widened in disbelief. How was this possible? How could Insomnia be whole and untouched by the ravage of war and darkness? Where was Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis? What happened when he blacked out?

So many questions and not a single one could be answer by his lonesome. It was frustrating to say the least, but at the same time he was no stranger to unanswered questions. He's lived years without answers to the life before his memory loss. He managed then and he'll manage it not. There was no point in getting angry. He will just have to be patient and see where things go.

…Strange, didn't Ignis mention something about his patience being his greatest virtue?

By the time he caught up with Crowe, several platoons of Kingsglaive could be seen filing into transportation vehicles. He spotted a young Elea waving a hand at them to signal which vehicle they'd be taking before quickly running over and hopping in. He'll try to make sense of everything later. For now, it's best for him not to stand out too badly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …I have never had a story change its main character and plot on me as many times as this one has on the first chapter. It started off with a foul-mouth female SI from the real world somehow taking over Noctis' body through playing the game… but then somehow it changed into a shy, timid male player character in Comrades, time-traveling into the past via Umbra.
> 
> On top of that, the timeframe went from 5 years before Noctis came back to a year after he died and the personality changed again from meek to calm and collected, which in turn changed the fighting style from defensive to supportive.
> 
> Timeline and personality-wise, this chapter was a nightmare to keep track of. Hopefully the future chapters will be easier now that Erebus' personality and timeline is more or less set, but just to clarify, I will put the ages of the characters for reference.
> 
> FFXV Comrades (Post 1-year):
> 
> Erebus Khaine: 41
> 
> Libertus Ostium: 43
> 
> Gladiolus Amicitia: 34
> 
> Ignis Scientia: 33
> 
> Prompto Argentum: 31
> 
> Umbra Past Insomnia (23 years ago):
> 
> Erebus Khaine: 18
> 
> Crowe Altius: 17
> 
> Gustco: 22
> 
> Regis Lucis Caelum: 38
> 
> Noctis Lucis Caelum: 8


	2. What Once Was Mine

The ride to Galdin Quay was different compared to when they set off for Angelgard to retrieve the King from his ten-year absence. The skies were clear and the passing towns were untouched by daemons. Erebus took in as much of the passing scenery as he could. To him, these were all sights he never seen before. The memories he have were all during the decade of darkness.

"Never been out of the Crown City before, city boy?" scoffed Crowe with her arms crossed and a leg over her knee.

"What's got you in such a bitch mood today Crowe?" sighed Gustco. "Just leave him alone."

"Nah, she's right, this is my first time seeing outside the walls of Insomnia like this," placated Erebus as he reluctantly pulled his gaze from the back window and grinned back at the group. "It's beautiful."

Crowe blinked in surprise at his easy acceptance, the scowl lines on her face smoothed out as she eyed him with furrowed brows instead. He offered no explanation as he turned his attention back to the window. Their vehicle passed the Callaegh Steps and the Balouve Mines. It won't be long before they reach their destination.

Erebus watched as the vehicle drove through the high cliffs of Saulhend Pass and down the winding hillside to Galdin Quay. The beach front to the lofty docks is a sight to behold. A true vacationer's paradise, though Erebus doubt he could afford such a trip even if he wanted to. Of the Kingsglaive, their unit was the first to get dropped off, taking the high ground overlooking the area in case of Niflheim dropships.

"So, how did you end up sleeping in the park last night anyway?" Elea broke the silence while they waited for the ship from Altissia to arrive at port. "Crowe said you drunk yourself stupid, but aside from your morning breath, I didn't smell any alcohol on you at all."

"Would you believe me if I said I forgot where I lived?" offered Erebus self-depreciating laugh.

"Ha! Good one," said Gustco as he slapped the brunette's back in good-humor. "Didn't you say you were living with your girlfriend? Did get into a fight with her or something?"

"…I have a girlfriend?" said Erebus in bewilderment.

"Wow, that bad?" grimaced Gustco. "Not gonna ask what happened, but if you need a place to stay, you can crash with me for a while."

"Uh… thanks?" said Erebus, still trying to wrap his mind around actually having someone in his life. He didn't think he had anyone before Insomnia's fall. Gustco in his time never mentioned about him having a girlfriend before and from what he could gather from everyone, it wasn't like he had much in terms of family either. "Probably unnecessary, I'll try to make up with her when I get back."

"Did you even tell her you were going on mission today?" asked Elea.

"Uh… I'm not sure," admitted Erebus nervously.

"Well, you better give her a call since we won't know how long we're going to be here. She might get even more pissed," suggested Elea.

"Right. Good idea," agreed Erebus as he reached into his pocket for his phone.

"Call later, we're still on the clock!" snapped Crowe.

"Come on Crowe, it's not like his majesty's here yet," sighed Gustco in exasperation. "At least let him text her. Have pity on the guy!"

"No, him being on his phone makes us look unprofessional," argued Crowe, eyes wide and livid as she shot Erebus a glare.

Somehow, he felt there was something more behind that look. The fact she was already angry at him from earlier didn't help either. To be safe, he pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it up in surrender.

"Really Erebus? You're just going to let her boss you around?" complained Gustco.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," defended Erebus sheepishly. "Especially when it pertains to a woman with the ability to fry your balls with magic."

At his comment, Elea burst out laughing while Crowe settled down with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Gustco threw up his arms in defeat as he turned away from the group and plopped down on a nearby rock. While Erebus appreciate the man for looking out for him, starting a fight with someone as hotheaded as Crowe is definitely not the best way to keep himself inconspicuous. He will have to apologize to his mysterious girlfriend profusely later… if he ever manages to find out who she is.

He's yet to figure out how to learn more about his supposed girlfriend without seeming strange. From what he could recall of his contact list when he finally unlock his phone, there was a number of names on the list. The majority seldom have a last name, likely because he didn't need them to identify the person. Though, he does recall the odd few that seem to be nicknames like Beef Patty, Fish Pole, Little Chubs and Speed Demon.

Out of curiosity and a faint sense of hope, he tried calling all the numbers at one point when Holly and her Exineris crew started restoring cell towers and provided battery replacements for those who still kept their phones. The majority of the calls were disconnected, either because its owner was long dead or more likely it was thrown out when it became useless. There was no point in keeping them, without the cell towers to broadcast a working signal. He only kept his because it was one of the few things that held lost pieces of his past.

Erebus thought to ask someone for help in identifying the names on his contacts, but in the end decided he be better off not knowing to avoid trudging up old wounds for himself and others. Knowing more about his past then will not have helped him or anyone else. Though, now he regrets not asking since every one of those names in his contacts are very likely alive.

"Hey," started Crowe, her sharp voice dragged him out of his thoughts as he turned his attention to the shorter woman.  
"Hey," he returned the greeting, wondering why she was suddenly talking to him when he's done nothing but piss her off all morning.

"About earlier…." continued Crowe, hesitation laced the undertones of her words as she did her best to not to look away. "You can text your girlfriend at lunchbreak. We're almost due for one anyway."

"Oh…thanks. I'll do that…during break," replied Erebus as he struggled to piece together the right words avoid possibly offending the young woman again. She shot him another odd look before turning her attention back to the coastline.

Erebus fought back a grimace, no doubt she's starting to notice something off about him. He'll have to think of something if it comes to her confronting him. Lunchbreak consist of rations bars and a bottle of water. With the king and prince yet to arrive, best to keep to something quick and easy to eat. Though the break was short, he did take Crowe's suggestion text his supposed girlfriend.

However, when he pulled out his phone, he is met with an unfamiliar flip phone instead his usual one. Confusion and disbelief painted his face as he stared at the small bulky thing. How is this his? This thing belongs in a museum. Who even uses… his thoughts came to a halt when he realized he is in the past. It's understandable anything he owns will be considered outdated in his time. Not that his current phone is actually all that new, considering he's had it for over a decade before Exineris developed replacement batteries.

Regardless, he hastily dismissed the thoughts and flicked the phone open with his thumb. The screen lit up before clicked through the ancient interface for the text messaging option. Due to its non-intuitive design, he took a moment to find the right screen. When finally managed to do so, he is immediately greeted with a list of unanswered messages. The most recent three were from Gustco asking his whereabouts, no doubt some time before they found him in the park.

The last seven to follow were from Crowe with expletives on the subject line. He grimaced visibly as he went through each one. Under normal circumstances, he would have deleted the texts without reading them to avoid the text-based tongue-lashing. Except, these texts is his only means of learning more about himself and the past he's inadvertently trapped in.

What he learned from the most recent ones is how angry the young woman is with him. Threats of castrations and other means of bodily harm went across the span of three texts as there seemed to be a character limit per text. He idly wondered what on earth he did to piss the woman off enough for her to send such long threatening texts by the means of the number pad. It must have taken her forever to get through a single word, much less this many texts.

As he tried to scroll down, he noticed there aren't any messages older than a day. His previous self either regularly delete the messages or set the phone to auto-delete to save storage space. Understandable considering the limitations of a flip phone. Though, it's more likely the first rather than the latter if his current phone is anything to go by. The only message left was from Luche, the contents of the message hinted that he and a number of other glaive betrayed the king by kidnapping the Oracle and allowing the Empire to invade the Crown City.

Not a proud fact he learned of his former self, but one he learned to overcome and do better to repent for his former's sins. Unfortunately, this brings him back to his initial problem… trying to text his girlfriend. Who thought trying to find your girlfriend is harder than trying to find a girlfriend? Dejected, he decided to read the rest of Crowe's scathing texts in hopes he will be able to at least pass off being his past self.

"Look lively," alerted Gustco, his voice neither too loud to draw attention nor too soft to be unheard.

Erebus snaps his phone close and turns his attention down towards the beach. The skies remain clear of the enemy's fleet and a ship approaches the coastline.

"Think they're on that ship?" asked Erebus.

"Don't know, but be ready in case they are," noted Kenny, the spiked black-haired Kingsglaive, the last member of their five-man unit.

Another person he's never met during his time. Idly, Erebus wondered if there is a possibility this Kenny is the weird fish-wielding glaive that likes to run around everywhere dressed as the restaurant mascot Kenny the Crow. He's never actually see the glaive under the Kenny the Crow costume. It could very well be him.

" _We have his majesty and his highness,_ " said Drautos' through their earpiece. " _Glaives stationed in the upper areas of Galdin, secure the road back to Insomnia. We won't be able to get the king and the prince back to the city before night falls. Be prepared to face daemons if necessary._ "

"Yes, sir!" confirmed the group collectively as they set off to their transport and made way back through the Saulhend Pass.

Strange enough, the thought of facing daemons again didn't bothered him. If anything, it brought an odd sense of comfort and nostalgia. Having lived through the endless nights for a decade, Erebus still found it difficult to believe he would ever see the light. For weeks, he went to bed wondering if the king's sacrifice was just a fantastical dream and he'll wake up back to the harsh and the dark daemon filled world.

Absently, he wondered if he could still access his crafted weapons. Not that he couldn't fight with the standard non-custom weapons, but it just didn't have the same versatility. While the ride to Galdin felt like a whole new experience, the ride back towards Insomnia brought back urgency as nightfall slowly took over.

The moment he heard the tell-tale sound of the Iron Giant's groan and the slosh of a Black Flan echoed through the air, it felt as though the endless nights were back. He barely realized he called a weapon to his hand until Crowe grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back from warp-striking the daemons.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" demanded Crowe.

"Clearing a path for the king and prince," explained Erebus with a frown. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Not by yourself you're not," growled the dark-haired young woman. "You're helping us with the fire barrage."

"Fire…barrage?" repeated Erebus in confusion.

"What is with you today?" sighed Crowe in frustration. "Get with the program! We're the Mage Fireteam Unit! We don't fight close range! We bomb them to high hell at a distance. Just follow my lead!"

Without another word, Crowe and the other members of their team warped up to the high ground, the short red cape of their uniform fluttered in the wind as fireballs of varying sizes appeared at their hands. It took Erebus a second to realize to do the same. At the first fire, he noticed the group staggered their spell casting in order to keep a constant barrage of attacks.

After the first person attacks, the second one follows then the next and so on. By the time the last person casts, the first is ready to cast again. The staggering keeps a constant barrage of attacks without the risk of putting the whole unit into stasis and giving the enemy an opening to exploit. A tactic they could have used during his time if there were more glaives with magical capabilities.

To his surprise, his fire spells still defaulted to firaga and defeating the Iron Giant and Black Flan took no time at all. It wasn't until he gave his weapon a good look that he realized it was the same one he crafted from his time.

"How…?" murmured Erebus in disbelief as he stared at the pair of Crimson Flashes in his hands.

His mobile is a flip-phone from this time, but his weapon is one of craft in the future. The other difference between the two is that his weapon are stored in the King's armiger while his phone usually stayed on his person. Does that mean he's somehow still connected to King Noctis? And if that is the case, will there be a way for him to return? Not to say the luxuries and the chance to learn more about his past isn't enticing, but if he is to return to his time learning more about what he won't see again might not be worth it.

"The assault team is taking care of the daemon at the next junction," stated Elea, her announcement temporarily drew him away from his thoughts and to their next orders. "Once his majesty's transport makes it through here, we're to follow behind guard the back. The other teams will join us after each junction."

The more he learns, the more the jarring differences grow. To have this many teams on a single escort mission is unthinkable. Sure, the people of importance are their king and prince, but he's managed with less. Hell, most missions he took had only four people with him included. Having a fifth member on the unit he's currently in is overkill. Though… to be fair, they're hardly shared the same experience as him and his fellows.

The majority of the glaives from what he's seen are relatively young. Hell, he'd be surprised if there is a single glaive in their thirties. Libertus did mentioned King Regis established the Kingsglaive some twenty odd years ago and they were the first batches recruited to be glaives. In the same conversation he also noted most glaives were recruited young with fifteen being the age minimum.

Erebus recall blanching the first time he heard the bare requirements, until he found out Cor the Immortal had joined the ranks of Crownsguard at the tender age of fifteen. It didn't make the sheer absurdity of recruiting children in the military any lesser, but at least their survival was taken into consideration. Crowe mention earlier how this is their first mission and none on his unit seem too pubescent. Chances are, it's unlikely they will send out young glaives if they think they're not ready for the field.

"What the hell are those?" shouted Gustco in alarm at the group of the hulking grey-skinned daemons came charging after them.

"Hobgoblins," frowned Erebus as he summoned his Radiant Lance, but again, before he could warp-strike the monster Crowe managed to grab a hold of him.

"Why are you even on this unit if you're going to charge off in a direct assault?" growled Crowe in frustration.

"I'm not!" protested Erebus.

"Then why the hell are you pulling out that weapon? It's not even the standard equipment for glaives!" growled Crowe.

"So I can do this!" snapped the dark-haired glaive in return as he held out his hand and let out a barrage of light-based attacks at the Hobgoblins.

Not expecting his assault, the daemons didn't bother to dodge the attack. By the time it hit, it was too late. A wailing screech rang through the area, halting the pursuing demons briefly in surprise.

"Since when can you do that?" asked Kenny in surprise.

"Weapon augmentation. Don't try to fight them, unless you have a specially crafted hulking big sword. Just keep blasting them until they back off," groaned Erebus before shoving the lance into the spike-haired glaive's hand. "I'm going into stasis, take over."

It's been some time since he last put himself into stasis. Normally, his other three teammates could hold off the monsters long enough for him to recover, but this group is still young and inexperienced. Hobgoblins, even the low-leveled ones will outclass them. Fortunately, the assault team managed to catch up with them and finished off the weaken daemons and make the rest of the way back to Insomnia relatively unscathed.

"Man, you guys look like shit," laughed a young looking Libertus when they finally returned to Insomnia and reached the dropoff. "Not bad for newbies, at least none of you were hurt."

"Sure, rub it in Libertus," grumbled Crowe as she kicked the taller man's shin.

"Come on now Crowe, he's just happy you're fine. After all, you're like a little sister to us," teased a warm-toned skinned Galahdian glaive, his traditional braids swung stiffly against the shaved sides of his head with each step he took.

"Not helping Nyx," huffed the young woman.

"So who started the fancy light-show? I've never took down one of those with only two hits before," commented Nyx as he turned his gaze to the rest of the unit.

"Don't you even try to encourage him!" growled Crowe before she grabbed onto Erebus' collar and yanked him into their conversation. "This idiot here kept trying to charge off on his own."

"For the last time, those weapons are meant for magic augmentation!" sighed Erebus in exasperation. "I wasn't going to directly attack them!"

A flat out lie, if she knew the moniker Vyv gave him. The horrid title still made him groan in embarrassment in private whenever he thought about it. Even so, his time with Crowe and the older glaives didn't last long as Drautos made an appearance for debriefing.

"The king and prince have made it back to the citadel safe and sound and as far as I've heard, we suffered no casualties," said the man with pride. "Rest well tonight, knowing you've all done good work today. I'll see you all at 0900 hours. You're all dismissed."

A collective chatter broke out the moment they were relieved from duty. Compared to the Crownsguard, Kingsglaive is far less formal. They stand on ceremony only for as long as needed, but no longer. A comfort Erebus took greatly when Libertus first found him. No one glaive is better than another, they were all brothers and sisters in arms. Interaction with the Crownsguard was awkward from time to time as they were unused to the informality.

Having interacted with the likes of Monica and Dustin was probably the only saving grace he had to not make a fool of himself when Drautos approached him after the mass debriefing.

"Khaine," greeted the captain as the crowd of glaives began to thin and file out of the glaive hall.

"Sir?" returned Erebus in turn as his unit-mates edged away from the two out of respect for the man.

"I heard what you done," continued Drautos, the corner of his lips twitch up in approval. "Good work."

"…Just doing my job sir," said Erebus awkwardly, not expecting the man to come up to him to give him a personal compliment.

"Of course, but what you did caught the king's interest," continued Drautos casually. "He's requested you to be at his audience chamber at 0800 hours tomorrow."

"Me?" said Erebus in disbelief as he pointed to himself.

"Yes, you," chuckled Drautos as he clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You have a good head on you kid, just make sure you don't embarrass yourself too badly."

"…Yes sir," replied Erebus, uncertainty heavy in his words.

"I expect you to still meet the 0900 meeting, get some rest," said the man before his hand slipped from his shoulder and he strolled past him.

"Damn," said Kenny following a low whistle. "An audience with the king, aren't you one lucky bastard?"

"And that's on top of a successful first mission too. This calls for a celebration," chuckled Gustco as he slapped Erebus on the back.

"Uh… thanks, but I probably should be getting home," evaded Erebus as he slipped away from their playful nudging.

"Oh come on man! Don't be such a party pooper!" complained Kenny.

"Leave him alone," sighed Elea. "Did you forget he has an angry girlfriend waiting for him at home?"

Erebus paled at the thought. With all the excitement, he completely forgot about his mysterious girlfriend and potentially where he lived.

"Uh… yeah, girlfriend. Why don't you guys go on ahead? I'm going to call it a night," said Erebus as he started a half jog to slip away from the group.

"Whipped!" shouted Kenny as he made it to the archway. Erebus flipped him off in good humor, drawing out several chuckles from his unit as he left.

Once he was far enough from the glaive halls, Erebus found himself at a complete loss. A strange notion since he probably had more intimate knowledge of Insomnia's layout than anyone else in the city. How on earth is he supposed to find his place in such a big city?

While it's quite possible his supposed girlfriend was aware of his mission today, it's still rather odd that he hasn't received even a text to ask if he was still on mission or if he's coming home. Hell, it's quite possible his former self just made up the whole story about having a girlfriend since no one in his unit seems to know who his girlfriend is.

_Beep, beep…_

A buzz in his pocket startled him out of his musing as he pulled out the mobile. A quick flick of his thumb and the screen open to a text from Crowe.

_Did you head home already?-Crow_

Confused by the odd text, Erebus responded with a brief no. It took a moment, but eventually Crowe sent another message.

_Where are you now? I can meet up with you and we could head home together.-Crowe_

Erebus' brain came to an abrupt halt as he reread the message three times over. This sounded nothing like the Crowe he spoke with the whole day. Hastily, he flipped back to the older messages he didn't get a chance to read earlier due to their escort mission.

 _It's 1 AM. Where are you?—_ started the first one.

_Why aren't you picking up your phone? Are you okay?—continued the second._

_I swear if this is your idea of a joke, I will kick your ass when you come home!—_ threatened the third.

The next four to follow were lengthy expletives with detailed threats ranging from castration to skin flaying. Read in context with the first three, it seemed like Crowe was terribly worried about him, but lost her temper after getting no response from him.

_Beep, beep…_

_Are you okay? We can talk about it if you want when we get home.—Crowe._

"Holy shit…" murmured Erebus with wide eyes. "Crowe's my girlfriend!"

Suddenly, everything that's happened throughout the day made sense with him. Why she was so angry with him when she first found him. Why she seemed so against him calling his girlfriend in front of the others. Even the part where she grudgingly told him he could text his girlfriend during break made sense.

To her, he went missing for an entire night without a single word and when she found him, he acted like he didn't know anything about their relationship. Not that it makes much of a difference now, he still barely learned anything. From what he gathered, they're keeping it a secret from their fellow glaives. He's unsure if the reason is due to Crowe's unwillingness to publicly announce their relationship to their peers or if there is a rule regarding to glaives dating one another.

On the one hand, he's not obligated to publicly display affections to Crowe. He doesn't even know what's acceptable between them. On the other, he felt bad for the young woman because he wasn't the same man she fell in love with. A grimace crossed Erebus' face as he typed back his location. He'll have to cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Not something he looked forward to, but as he sent out the message a creeping realization crawled up on him… He never met Crowe during his time, which meant… she's going to die some time before Insomnia falls… He may not know her for long, but the thought didn't settle well with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly lore and world building this chapter, but I'll try to slowly introduce the chocobros and other characters as well. I have a vague idea on the direction I want to take the story. Hopefully, I won't end up with too many paradoxes and plot holes. Thanks for reading!


	3. Zero to Hero

 

"…Want to talk about it?" asked Crowe as they made their way back to their apartment. While her face didn't change from what Erebus seen the past couple of hours, he could still sense a significant amount of worry coming from her.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," dismissed Erebus with a sheepish wave of his hand.

"Then why are you walking pass our building?" asked Crowe as she halted some ways behind him.

"Oh… um… ehe, I got a lot on my mind?" laughed Erebus awkwardly as he turned his heel to walk back.

"…Erebus," continued the dark-haired young woman, unmoving and worry clear on her face.

"Yeah?" responded with what he hoped was a disarming smile.

"This isn't our building," said Crowe. Her words sent a chill down his spine as he fought back the urge to look away guiltily.

"Whoops?" laughed Erebus again, rubbing the back of his head. "I must be more spaced out than I thought.

"Whatever's going on, you know you could tell me right?" said Crowe quietly with a hand on his arm.

As caustic as she was to him for the most part of the day, in that moment, he wanted to tell her everything. The look she gave him was like nothing he ever received from anyone else. It warmed his heart and brought upon a sense of longing he never thought he feel since waking without his memories. Gingerly, he placed a hand over hers, uncertain if his touch would be received. When she didn't flinch or shy away, he risked curling his fingers over her smaller hand.

"Yeah," murmured Erebus quietly as he drew her hand into his. "I…just have a lot on my mind. Sorry for worrying you."

The uncertainty he had earlier concerning whether or not he should allow himself to get close to Crowe all but disappeared at the unwavering trust in her eyes. It was then he decided, he couldn't let her die again. For however long he's stuck here, he will find some way to make sure she survives the fall of Insomnia.

"Stubborn idiot," muttered Crowe under her breath as she laced her fingers with his and pulled him along. "Come on, let's get something to eat before we head home. Field rations suck."

Crowe took him to a small Galahdian stall in the slums. He was surprised to see Yamachang behind the grill. The man was one of the few restaurant proprietors that joined the hunts from time to time to procure ingredients for his restaurant. If he recalled correctly, restaurateur mainly went on the Malboro hunts as the deadly creature's tentacles was essential in his sauces.

"Does Nyx and Libertus know you're going on a date?" grinned Yamachang as he eyed Erebus.

"It's none of their business who I date and if you tell them, I will turn you into one of your skewers," glared the woman as she plopped down at the few seating areas in front of the establishment.

"Okay, okay!" chuckled Yamachang with his hands held up in surrender. "The usual then?"

"Yeah," groused Crowe as she went about pouring a cup of water from the pitcher sitting on the table for each of them.

"Should I worry?" asked Erebus jokingly, in hopes of learning more about Crowe with discretion.

From what he managed to gather, many of those he knew in his time was familiar with Crowe. Though, he supposed it made sense to why they bothered with him when he couldn't remember any of them. They all seemed to be closer to her rather than him. Both Libertus and Yamachang spoke to Crowe with warm familiarity, but kept at an amiable distance when concerning him.

"Doubt it," dismissed Crowe. "Yamachang's just being a nosy old fart."

"Hey!" protested the restaurateur indignantly. "Thirty is not old!"

"If you're over a decade older than me, you're pretty old," mocked Crowe.

Erebus spluttered, nearly choking on his drink at her words. Despite his current body being the same age as Crowe, mentally he was technically over forty, more than twice her age. Idly, he wondered if continuing this relationship with her made him a pedophile.

"It wasn't that funny," said Crowe in bewilderment as she patted his back.

"S-sorry!" coughed Erebus as he glanced apologetically at Yamachang.

The man rolled his eyes and went back to making their meal. Faintly, he could see the man muttering and mouthing the word kids under his breath. Food came and went as he and Crowe ate their fill of skewers. With their stomachs full, they made their way back to their apartment without further distractions.

Their apartment was a small studio with the kitchen and living space in one room and a small bathroom in another. A full-sized bed was tucked into a cramped corner with folding chairs and a foldable table leaned up against the wall. There wasn't much to the room aside from the old and boxy TV that sat on a dresser between the two dreary windows. All in all, it was still better than what he had in his time.

Aside from civilians, most hunters and glaives, in his time, tend to spend more time on the field rather than in towns and cities. Unless they're married and have family living in said towns, more often than not, they would stay at the communal bunkers run by the Hunters Association. Living space was already a scarce commodity, since most of them weren't going to stay for more than a day or two, there was no point in spending money on rent on a space that's rarely used.

"I'm going to hit the shower first… unless you want to join me," suggested Crowe slyly.

"Y-you go ahead," said Erebus, face beet red and flustered, not expecting her to be as forward as she is.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Crowe again. "Not that the whole blushing virgin act isn't cute, but you'd usually skip the foreplay and—"

"UM!" interrupted Erebus as he planted his hands on her shoulder and turned her towards the bathroom. "I'm a bit gassy, might've ate too much. Don't want to fart when we uh… you know. It'd be a mood killer."

"…Pft, I guess that's true." snickered Crowe before she craned her head back to plant a chaste kiss against his lips. "I'll be quick."

Erebus found himself speechless as she slipped away from his hands and closed the door behind her in the bathroom. Contrary to Crowe's claim about him being a blushing virgin, celibacy was never his strong point. Regardless of gender, everyone have needs. Albeit, most of his trysts fell more in line of mutual convenience with other hunters and glaives rather than emotional attachment.

With nothing else to do while Crowe was in the shower, he turned on the ancient TV and flipped through the channels before finally stopping on the news.

"In recent news, Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae was killed during the invasion by Niflheim soldiers. Citizens mourn for the loss of their queen and many others worry for what's to come with the death of the oracle. Speculations circulated of the young Princess Lunafreya taking her mother's place as oracle in the coming days. However, with the princess and her brother Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret currently in Niflheim custody, the new oracle ascension is undetermined. Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt have yet to give a formal address regarding to the tragedy," reported the anchor as photos of the Tenebraen royalty cycled through the screens.

Of the royals, he knew only King Noctis and brief mentions of King Regis and Lady Lunafreya the Oracle. Beyond the Lucis line he knew little else of the royalties. The fact they were mentioned on the news was an eye opener for him.

"Shower's all yours," said Crowe as she came out of the bathroom nude, toweling her wet hair as she strolled across the room to the dresser.

Erebus' eyes couldn't help but drift down to her round behind as she bent over in front of him to dig through the dresser. She's definitely doing this on purpose, he decided as she took forever to pick out a shirt and her hips swayed side to side suggestively. To make matters worse, he realized what a difference his younger body is to his older one.

He could go off and take a cold shower to rid himself of his problem, but Erebus was never one to deny a willing partner. With a dismissive thought of fuck it, in every sense of the word, he knelt down and dove in, face first to pleasure his girlfriend. Crowe's throaty moans went straight through him and he found himself wanting to hear more. Safe to say, neither of them got much sleep that night and their neighbors will most likely give them the stink-eye the next morning.

"So… how long were you holding out on me hmm?" asked Crowe the next morning over coffee and toast as they prepared themselves for the day.

"Erm… holding out?" asked Erebus in confusion as he pulled on his Kingsglaive uniform.

"Last night," supplied Crowe. "You were wild, I don't think I've ever been fucked that hard."

"Do you like it?" asked Erebus hesitantly.

In hindsight, he should have realized the difference in experience between him and his younger self. Awkwardness aside, most of his trysts were more carnal in nature and none of them lasted beyond the few times they happen to be on the same mission. He had no clue what to say when it came to actual relationships the day after. This was what he got for thinking with his dick rather than his brain.

"It's not bad… just different," said Crowe as she sipped her coffee.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I'm going to head out first. The meeting with the king and all," said Erebus, desperately wanting to escape the awkward discussion.

"See you at the 0900 meeting?" called out Crowe as he made his way towards the door.

"Yeah, see you there," said Erebus with a reassuring smile before closing the door behind him.

It wasn't until he was halfway to the Citadel that he allowed himself to breathe out a sigh of relief. Trying to go through this without his memories was difficult. He barely managed a day as it was; how was he supposed to handle more than this?

"Erebus Khaine, reporting to see his majesty," announced Erebus when he made it to the Citadel gates.

"Proceed," said the gate guard dully after checking the list of allowed personnel.

Of the ruins in Insomnia, the Citadel was likely the most, well-aged building in the city. Though, it paled in comparison to what it was at its prime. Erebus took note of the pristine floors and unblemished ceilings as he made it through the main halls. There were several people at the reception greeting visitors and representatives from the outer territories of Lucis. Fashion in Insomnia differed from the distinct styles worn in the regions of Duscae and Cleigne.

"Kingsglaive, Erebus Khaine," announced the herald before the man opened the door and ushered him into the room.

Upon the throne, above the majestic steps, sat King Regis in his pinstriped black suit. The man was younger than he expected. His dark hair, neatly combed back and his beard, cleanly trimmed and maintained. Despite his neatness, Erebus noticed the exhaustion clear on the king's face.

"Your majesty," greeted Erebus with a salute he seen many glaives done during King Noctis' send off. He may not remember the details of being in the Kingsglaive, but he could claim he's observant.

"At ease," said Regis with a raise of his hand and Erebus switch to standing with his legs firmly parted and his arms folded behind him, the standard glaive stance. "I heard you were among the escort that aided the return of my son and I to the Citadel. For that, I thank you."

"It was my honor, your majesty," said Erebus evenly.

"Even so, I can't help but hear that you were using a peculiar weapon during the escort, mind if I took a look at it?" asked Regis.

"…Sir?" asked Erebus with uncertainty. Why was the king suddenly interested in his weapon of all things?

"As it is my request, you will not be punished for summoning your weapon in my presence," dismissed Regis with a wave, misinterpreting his reluctance as worry rather than suspicion. "Please summon the weapon and my attendant will bring it to me.

"…Yes sir," said Erebus as he called forth the Radiant Lance before turning it horizontally to hand to the approaching attendant.

Even if his lance wasn't the standard glaive weapon, it shouldn't be too suspicious. As far as he knew, glaives were allowed to customize their weapons to a certain extent as long as they're the one paying for it.

Erebus watched as the king received the weapon and examined it with what was no doubt a trained eye. The man ran a hand over the pole, check for its grip and eyed the intricate designs holding the blade. He stood, twirling the pole-arm in his hand and tossing it lightly into the air to test its weight before catching it with another twirl with ease. Unsurprised, King Regis was also a fighter much like his son King Noctis.

"Tell me glaive, how did you come across this weapon?" asked Regis as he turned his attention to him.

"It's custom made sir," answered Erebus.

"And who is the smith-hand that welded this weapon?" continued the King as he righted the lance.

At the question, Erebus paused suddenly recalling old-man Cid's anecdote on how King Noctis came to him about getting custom weapons. With how old the mechanic was, could King Regis have known the man? If he answered honestly and the king reached out to Cid, then there would be a glaring hole in his story. Lying was not an option either since the man obviously recognized Cid's handiwork. Either way, he was stuck in a precarious situation.

"Let me rephrase my question…" continued the man as he planted the lower end of the lance to the ground. "How do you know Cid Sophiar? The man is usually not very forthcoming when it comes to sharing his weapons."

"He's not?" said Erebus in surprise before he caught himself.

"Are you saying he willingly gave you this weapon?" asked the king with a raised brow.

"No sir, this weapon is mine," defended Erebus. "But… the customizations are by his hand."

"Interesting, he must have changed quite a bit since we last spoke," murmured Regis before continuing. "How is old Cid?"

"…Your majesty," continued Erebus hesitantly, still torn between whether he should tell the truth or lie and hope it doesn't blow up in his face at a later date.

"Don't tell me…" whispered the king solemnly. "Did he pass away?"

"No! No sir, nothing of the sort! I'm quite sure he'll outlive us all," placated Erebus in a panic.

"Then why the hesitation?" asked Regis calmly, relief spread across his face at the news of Cid's good health.

"Because…" started Erebus before he took in a deep breath and decided to go with truth. "He and I aren't acquainted at this current time."

"Explain," ordered the king evenly.

"This may sound strange, but please listen to the end before you place judgment on me your majesty," pleaded Erebus.

"…You have my word," agreed Regis.

"Thank you," breathed Erebus before steeling his nerves to say the next words. "I'm… from the future."

True to his word, King Regis said nothing as he waited for him to continue. The attendants and guards in the throne room on the other hand did not share the king's patience.

"Your majesty, maybe it's best to—" started a bald-shaven man dressed in a black Crownsguard outfit.

"Clarus," said Regis with a dismissive raise of his hand. "Continue glaive."

"Due to certain circumstances, Cid offered the glaives his services to upgrade any weapon as long as they provided the weapon and materials. The one you're holding now is not the only one. I have an arsenal of weapons all customized by Cid," explained Erebus. "I'm not exactly sure how I came to this time, but the last thing I remembered, I was assisting the Crownsguards in search of Umbra."

"Umbra?" repeated Regis with a frown.

"Yes, the Oracle's dog," supplied Erebus.

"And the names of the Crownsguards you accompanied," asked Regis.

"Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus Amicitia" replied Erebus without hesitation.

"Your majesty enough of this nonsense," huffed Clarus as he glared at Erebus. "It's public knowledge that the Amicitia and Scientia families have served the royal family for generations. The gall of this man to go through the trouble of bringing up Gladiolus' name to pull of this farce is an outrage. He's obviously a spy!"

"Enough!" boomed Regis as he slammed the lance soundly to the ground to cease all complaints. "With the exception of Erebus Khaine, I want you all out of this room."

"But your majesty!" protested a bespectacled attendant who Erebus thought oddly resembled Ignis. "This man is armed!"

"By my magic," interceded Regis. "If he tries to attack me using the means of what I gifted him, he will find himself powerless and sentenced to a fate worse than death. If I need any of you, you will be summoned. Until then, vacate the room."

At the king's iron declaration, no one in the room rose to protest further. The Crownsguard and a number of other attendants in the room all glared at Erebus with the intent of murdering him if any harm came to the king. He will admit, if not for the years of facing daemons, their scathing looks would have sent him curling into himself out of fear. Even so, Erebus didn't dare speak until the room emptied of everyone except him and the king slowly made his way down the steps to meet him.

"Your majesty—"started Erebus, but the king cut him off before he could finish.

"In your time…I am not your king anymore, am I?" asked Regis, his expression solemn as he came to a stop in front of him and twirled the lance in his hand once more.

"…Sir?" hesitated Erebus.

"I've watched you summon this weapon with my very own eyes, but extraordinarily, I did not feel a single pull at my magic as you accessed the armiger," mused Regis with melancholy. "Only kings may give the gift of magic and armiger access. My father Kings Mor never gifted his magic to anyone beyond his Crownsguards. When he died, members of his Crownsguard came under my magic through ascension."

"Your majesty," murmured Erebus remorsefully when he realized the king came to his own conclusion.

"Kingsglaive is something I started three years ago in an attempt to combat against Nifliheim's numbers," chuckled Regis humorlessly. "When I die… those in Kingsglaive would likely be transferred over to Noctis upon his ascension much like my father's Crownsguards to me. It is disheartening to hear my time will come to an end, but it is also comforting to know Noctis will have able men such as you in his employ."

"I am aware that this is no consolation, but do know King Noctis is a good king," offered Erebus quietly. "He…sacrificed for his people as they sacrificed for him."

"So… he fulfilled his calling," whispered Regis, grief clear on his face as he closed his eyes.

"Yes, your majesty," replied Erebus quietly.

"Before he…" choked Regis as he collected himself and let out a shaking breath. "Was he happy?"

"I don't know his majesty personally, but his Crownsguard still speak fondly of him when I was still with them. They were with him to his very last moments. From what I've heard, he seemed happy," answered Erebus.

"I'm… glad," said Regis in relief as he pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his eyes. "Please excuse me glaive. This is unsightly of me."

"There is no shame in showing tears your majesty. It just proves you're human," offered Erebus before he realized he spoke too familiarly and scrambled to correct himself. "Erm, sir!"

"At ease," chuckled Regis before regretfully glancing to the doors. "While I do wish I could speak with you further, I still have other business to attend to. You said you are unaware by what means that brought you here to this time correct?"

"Yes sir," nodded Erebus. "The last thing I remember was being in camp with the Crownsguard and Umbra, the late oracle's dog then the next thing I knew, I awoke in the park in the middle of the Crown City."

"Umbra you said," repeated Regis with a thoughtful frown. "Would that be Princess Lunafreya's dog?"

"Erm… yes," nodded Erebus. "Ignis mentioned it was important to find him and requested my assistance in the search. We spent the day searching for him, but then suddenly he decided to show up at the campsite shortly after everyone went to sleep."

"I see," murmured Regis. "Then it must be fate that brought you here."

"What do you mean sir?" asked Erebus in confusion.

"Umbra is one of the many messengers from the gods that serves under Lunafreya. If he brought you back here, it must mean there is something you are intended to do here at this time. I apologize that I won't be able to assist you to return to where you belong, but I may be able to provide you with more chances to come into contact with Umbra if he is the catalyst for your return," offered Regis.

"My…return?" said Erebus, startled by the king's generosity.

"…Do you not wish to return?" frowned Regis.

"No, it's not that!" denied Erebus hurriedly, though secretly he did want to stay for Crowe. "It's just… I'm not sure what exactly he wants me to do. What if I never accomplish the task? Am I to relive all these years to return to my proper time?"

"I'm sure you will figure it out in time," assured Regis before the thoughtful frown returned to his face. "Now, to the matter of increasing your chances of encountering Umbra, I do believe my son Noctis is still trading letters with Lunafreya via Umbra. For the time being I will assign you to be Noctis' guard until the day you leave."

"Everyone will be against it!" objected Erebus in alarm. "They would never stand for you to put the Ki-I mean prince in danger."

"And yet it is my order that they will obey," noted Regis. "I will vouch for you, but unfortunately, you may need suffer through their scrutiny for some time. For that, I apologize."

"I-um…" said Erebus in fluster, unsure of what to say before sighing dejectedly and accepting his fate. "Thank you your majesty."

"Before I call the others back into the room, the three names you mentioned earlier, you said those were the ones who stayed by my son's side to the very end?" asked Regis.

"Yes sir," nodded Erebus.

"What do you think of them?" asked Regis.

"Each of them are quite formidable on their lonesome, but together I believe they are unstoppable," supplied Erebus. "King Noctis is very lucky to have them."

"And their personalities?" continued Regis.

"Um…" stumbled Erebus awkwardly as he scrambled to think about how to describe the three men he was with before ending up in the past. "I'm not particularly close with the three of them, but young Prompto is quick to please, very kind and considerate. Gladiolus is a bit brash and forceful at times, but protective of his comrades. As for Ignis… he's gone through a lot of hardships, but out of the three… I think he may be the most selfless and loyal to his majesty. That's about all I can tell you sir."

"I see…" spoke Regis thoughtfully as he digested his words. "I will keep that in mind for the future."

"If I may be so bold, your majesty?" asked Erebus cautiously. "Why ask about the three? Has Prince Noctis not met them yet?"

"I don't believe so. Of the three names you've mentioned, I only recognized Gladiolus as he is Clarus' son and as for Ignis, I recognized Scientia is the last name to one of my attendants. Prompto is a completely mystery to me," replied Regis.

"Then…" Erebus paled. "Did I happen to completely ruin the events that lead to the prince's meeting of them?"

"You need not worry. For the first two, I could organize a meeting with their families for Noctis. As for Prompto, if he is meant to join my son, he will show up eventually," dismissed the king before he handed Erebus back his lance. "You only need to concern yourself with guarding Noctis until you've completed the task you were sent here for and return to your time. Everything else is secondary. Do I make myself clear?"

"…Yes sir," answered Erebus, back straightening at his king's command.

Regardless of his memories, his Kingsglaive training forced him to show more confidence than he felt. He hope being assigned to guard the prince doesn't end up ruining the fragile future everyone worked so hard to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: It's been a while since I wrote a chapter this long… it feels nice. As for the first half of the chapter, I'm trying something new since I rarely write romance. So… let's hope it doesn't end up too bad. Thanks for reading!


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